I ain't gonna leave ya
by LaurenEmilyxx
Summary: Submission for the USS Caryl competition. Near death experience. I don't own TWD, ship Caryl, don't like don't read. Carol teaches daryl to swim.


'Daryl it isn't that hard just move.' I yelled from the middle of the lake. I thought teaching Daryl to swim would be much easier than this, he won't even move from the dock.

'Woman I swear to god if you say it isn't hard I'm gonna stick an arrow in your ass.' He replied slowly moving towards the edge. I started swimming towards him, treading water a few metres away from him.

'Come on I'll help you but you need to get in first.' I waited for him to jump in, it wasn't deep here so he would be fine. He jumped in and I watched him slashing about before getting his footing.

'Okay just kick your legs and like lift your arms over and through like this.' I tried to demonstrate without going under the water, it was shallow but I still couldn't stand on the bottom.

Daryl nodded before taking his shirt off, he didn't want to stand out of the water where everyone could see his scars, Rick and Karen had got everyone swim stuff so that we could teach the children. Daryl had come to me last night to tell me he couldn't swim. I knew it must have taken him a lot to tell me so when we went hunting we went to a lake we had found and started learning.

I watched as he started moving his arms like I showed him, he was stiff so he wasn't going to find it easy.

'Daryl you need to loosen up a bit. Just pull yourself through the water and kick.' I said softly, he was trying his best. I swam towards him so I was in front of him.

'Let me help you,' I took his arms and put them on my shoulders. I could just touch the floor here so I would be able to walk while he got use to not having his feet on the floor, 'Relax, just start kicking I won't let anything happen.'

He had told me about his father trying to drown him when he was younger. I needed him to trust me so he could learn.

I started moving backwards trying to keep my head up, I felt him take his feet of the floor and start kicking, I looked over him and saw his feet coming up out of the water. He would be able to swim at no time.

'You're doing great. When you're ready start using your arms too.' I whispered, smiling at him. I could see the concentration on his face, he had started to relax too.

'Ain't too bad.' He growled

His tight hold on me started to loosen the longer we swam, he slowly took off one arm from my shoulders and started to swim with it, I was struggling to stand up now so I hoped he would let go soon so I could move. I watched as he got more confident.

'Daryl I'm going to let go I will be right next to you though, okay?' He nodded letting go of my other shoulder, I stood back and watched as he carefully started swimming, I swear if he wasn't using his arms he would be chewing his thumb. I chuckled before swimming up to him.

I swam next to him until we reached the edge of the lake.

'I think I can manage.' He whispered, I looked at the smile on his face and couldn't stop myself hugging him, he looked so proud.

'We can keep coming swimming after you hunt.' I leaned back from the hug, I got caught up in his eyes, the deep blue, like the water around us.

'I'll um, try to swim by myself.' I nodded pulling myself onto the bank to watch him. He slowly started to swim, well paddle.

I watched him for a few minutes before diving back in. He was getting better. Plus hopefully he will never have to swim away from trouble. Hopefully there won't be able trouble.

I swam around the lake a few times, it was nice to be out of the prison, away from the constant cooking and washing, everyone else got to leave and have fun.

'Carol we gonna go now, gonna be dark when we get back else.' Shouted Daryl from near the dock.

He looked like a load had been lifted from his shoulders now.

I dove under the water swimming towards him it felt like the world was normal, no walkers, no people trying to kill us, just peaceful.

When I saw his legs I quickly came up trying to scare him, I laughed when I saw his face, he wasn't scared, he actually scared me by grabbing me. His arms were wrapped around my waist.

'Thank you.' He drawled looking into my eyes.

I licked my lips, his mouth was so close to me, I could feel his breath. I pulled together all the courage I had, placing a chastised kiss on his lips, they were chapped and wet but it was perfect. I didn't wait for him to respond I couldn't face his rejection.

I gathered my clothes quickly throwing them on before starting back towards the trail that would take us to the prison.

I couldn't hear Daryl behind me, he would have probably gone off into the woods to get away from me, I would have destroyed everything because of one kiss, stupid feelings, finally losing Ed from my head telling me he would never want me and now he was gone. Daryl would go, leave me.

'Carol!' I could hear him shouting me, I didn't need him to curse me out, I was doing it enough myself. I carried on walking but the sound of splashing stopped me, he had finished swimming he shouldn't be in the lake.

I ran back, looking for him through the trees hoping to see him, see that a walker had fallen in the lake or something, he might be drowning, he can't swim, well he can now but he isn't confident or experienced. I burst into the clearing searching for him, I could see bubbles coming out of the centre of the lake, Daryl was down there.

I forgot about my clothes and weapons, I just needed to get him out.

I jumped in diving towards where the bubbles were, the lake was deep in the centre, far too deep for him to get a footing. I opened my eyes searching through the murky water for him, I could see a paleness in the water. It had to be him, he couldn't die, I couldn't lose him.

I could see he wasn't moving, I started pulling him but he was heavy, dead weight. I keep pulling trying to reach the surface before I ran out of air. I could see the top, I just needed to keep going. Save Daryl. The mantra going constantly through my head. Swim, save Daryl.

I reached the top trying to keep a hold of him as I swam to the dock, I looked around scared his cry for help had attracted unwanted attention. I Lay him on the bank I looked at his chest hoping to see him start breathing.

'You aren't allowed to die.' He promised he wouldn't leave me again. I started compressions on his chest. Tears running down my face. The air was becoming cold around us, like the woods could sense it was losing its hunter. I kept going, hoping that each compression would be the last he would open his eyes, start breathing, make some sarcastic comment about swimming or something. I started pushing air into his lungs hoping anything would work, his lips were cold, not like when I kissed him, they were freezing.

'Damn it Daryl, just breathe, please….' I begged, my body was tired from swimming and dragging him out with me, it was screaming each time I pushed my hands against his chest. Hershel hadn't taught me how to do this. I couldn't let him die, I would die with him, I couldn't put him down, no, I needed him, he always saved me.

I kept going, two breaths, thirty compressions.

Two breaths, thirty compressions.

Two breaths, thirty compressions.

Two breaths, thirty compressions.

Don't bloody die.

I kept going, my muscles begging me to stop, I couldn't see him past the tears in my eyes, falling constantly, I could see them falling onto his chest and face as a moved. I tried to stop myself shivering from the cold, my wet clothes, pulling me down, making me lose hope.

'Daryl I love you, I can't give up on you, ever.' I cried, trying to keep going, ignoring everything telling me he was gone, he couldn't be. He was Daryl he was meant to outlive us all.

I saw his hand twitch but kept going, I wasn't going to live without him and Sophia.

_Twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty. _

I lost hope, it was too late. I hit my fist down on his chest screaming at his dead body, my scream seemed wrong in the silent woods, no sound, no wind, just cold, everything around me was cold, I was alone.

Alone.

I watched as water slowly poured out his mouth, a low growl coming from his throat, I pushed him forward letting the water fountain onto the floor. I needed to know he was dead. See his blues eyes were gone, I couldn't risk killing him if there was a chance.

That's all we need a chance. Ricks words from the CDC ringing in my ears.

I took my knife out its sheen ready to end it when I need to, the pact. Don't let us become walkers, a deal we all made in winter, to give us some peace of mind that we wouldn't kill anyone else. I would keep my promise.

I heard a coughing, from my place on the floor screaming into the damp grass. Walkers didn't cough.

'Daryl?' I whispered moving from my place behind him on the floor.

The coughing and spluttering continued, he was alive. I started rubbing his back trying to bring up the last of the water. It looked like he had most the lake in there, just pouring out his mouth like a water fall.

When he stopped coughing I smacking him lightly around the head crawling in front of him. 'You scared the crap out of me.' I cried pulling his face up so I could see his eyes, the crystal blue.

'I, um, I love ya too.' His voice was hoarse from the water but I had never heard something more perfect. He had heard me, what I had said, my cries in hope it would bring him back. I could see he looked uncomfortable sat there in just his trunks, shivering, like me, our skin wet and frozen. I moved away from him grabbing his clothes and weapons. I couldn't stop the grin on my face, he loved me, someone up there had given me another chance, a chance to live without hiding everything. I gave him his shirt letting him cover his scars, he was visibly more relaxed with them hidden. He taught me not to be ashamed of the few scars I had so I would eventually teach him not to be ashamed of his either. I took his hand when he was dressed slowly pulling him up from the ground, we had to leave, my screams would attract every walker for miles, the prison probably heard. They would be worried it was beginning to get dark. I wrapped my arm around Daryls waist, trying to support his weight, he was weak, the lack of oxygen making him vulnerable, I would have to protect us, keep us safe until we reached the prison.

'I ain't even gonna leave ya, even when I die I'm gonna be watching ya ass.' He grunted.


End file.
